Respiratory microbiome may influence your susceptibility to flu

Specific respiratory microbiome communities may be linked to influenza susceptibility, according to a study published January 9, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Betsy Foxman from the University of Michigan, USA, and colleagues. Influenza virus, the causative agent of flu, primarily targets the respiratory tract and infects epithelial cells here. The epithelial cells of the nose and throat are enveloped by complex bacterial communities, leading Foxman and colleagues to hypothesize that this respiratory microbiome might interact with the virus—and could play a role in the body's defences against flu. Read more...